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Executives

Ryan Stump

Chief Operating Officer and Director

Mr. Stump was appointed as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer on April 26, 2019 in connection with the Share Exchange. Mr. Stump has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Charlie’s since 2014, during which time he has been responsible for all global operations of Charlie’s. Prior to joining Charlie’s, Mr. Stump worked as an Associate Territory Manager and then as a Territory Manager for ConMed, a medical sales device company, from 2010 to 2013. Mr. Stump also co-founded and continues to be engaged with multiple companies, including The Ohio House since 2011, the Buckeye Recovery Network since 2017, and The Mend California since 2018. Mr. Stump earned a B.S. and B.A. in Sports Marketing and Marketing from Duquesne University.

The Board of Directors believes that Mr. Stump’s experience operating high growth companies, as well as entrepreneurial experience, will be valuable to the Board as it manages the Company’s anticipated continued growth.

Henry Sicignano, III

President

Mr. Sicignano, was appointed as the Company’s President on April 1, 2021. Mr. Sicignano brings more than 20 years experience as a senior executive of various consumer products companies. He served as Chief Executive Officer of 22nd Century Group, Inc. (NYSE American: XXII), a plant-based biotechnology company that is focused on tobacco harm reduction, very low nicotine content tobacco, and hemp/cannabis research, from March 3, 2015 through July 26, 2019; as President from January 25, 2011 through July 26, 2019; and as a Director from January 25, 2011 through July 26, 2019. Mr. Sicignano served on the Board of Directors of Anandia Laboratories, Inc., a cannabis-focused science company, from December 2014 through August 2018 when the company was sold to Aurora Cannabis (NYSE: ACB). From August 2005 to April 2009, Mr. Sicignano served as a General Manager and as the Director of Corporate Marketing for NOCO Energy Corp., a petroleum products company; and from March 2003 to July 2005, as Vice President of Kittinger Furniture Company, a fine furniture manufacturer. From February 1997 through July 2002, he served as Vice President and Marketing Director of Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company, a specialty tobacco company and parent to the Natural American Spirit cigarette brand, prior to the sale of Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 2002. Mr. Sicignano holds a B.A. Degree in Government from Harvard College and an M.B.A. Degree from Harvard University.

Matt Montesano

Chief Financial Officer

Since 2014, Mr. Montesano served as Chief Financial Officer of Charlie’s Chalk Dust, LLC, the Company’s largest and most profitable operating division. Beginning in 2019, he also began serving as the Chief Financial Officer of Don Polly, LLC, the Company’s hemp-derived products division. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Montesano worked for L’Oreal USA in a variety of corporate finance positions for the company’s Professional Products and Salon Centric divisions. Prior to L’Oreal USA, Mr. Montesano worked for KeyBanc Capital Markets as an investment banker where he focused on debt, equity and merger and acquisitions transactions in the industrials space. Throughout his career, Mr. Montesano has invested in and consulted with businesses on a variety of matters including financial systems and reporting, as well as capital raising and other strategic alternatives. Mr. Montesano holds a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Ohio University.

Adam Mirkovich

Chief Information Officer

Mr. Mirkovich was appointed as the Company’s Chief Information Officer on May 20, 2019. Mr. Mirkovich has over a decade of experience managing supply chains for consumer products. Mr. Mirkovich has served as an independent management consultant specializing in building and optimizing value chains for startups and growth stage companies in the beverage, nicotine vape, and nutritional supplements industries since 2013. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Mirkovich served as the Chief Operating Officer of Orchid Ventures, Inc. (CSE:ORCD), a multi-state premium cannabis vape company, from September 2018 to April 2019. From December 2014 to February 2016, Mr. Mirkovich served as the Director of Supply Chain and Operations at Space Jam Juice, LLC, a distributor of premium vapor products. From November 2010 to April 2013, Mr. Mirkovich served as the Product Lifecycle Management (“ PLM ”) Program Manager for Niagara Bottling, LLC, a leading bottled water manufacturer. While there, he led the product revision, introduction, and discontinuance practices for customers’ private labeled water, flavored, and carbonated beverages. Prior to his role in PLM Management, Mr. Mirkovich served as a member of the Supply Chain Logistics team at Niagara Bottling, providing strategic support of company expansion activities and tactical support of purchasing, production planning, and multi-region logistics in North American operations. Mr. Mirkovich earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Economics from Chapman University.

Board Of Directors

Edward Carmines, PhD

Independent Director

Dr. Carmines was appointed to the Board in March 2022 and is currently Chief Scientific Officer of Chemular, Inc., where he designs and directs scientific and regulatory programs for PMTAs for a host of contract clients across a wide range of tobacco product categories. Dr. Carmines also currently serves as an Advisory Board Member of Sparq Life, Inc, focusing on the science of inhalation of non-tobacco products, and Principal for Carmines Consulting, LLC, where Dr. Carmines consults to the regulated tobacco industry in the field of toxicology and regulatory affairs. Previously, Dr. Carmines managed the safety of novel and oral tobacco products as a scientist with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. From 1996-2009, Dr. Carmines served as a principal scientist for Philip Morris USA (Altria Client Services, Inc.), where he developed guidelines for safely testing cigarette ingredients and components based on the FDA Red Book. Dr. Carmines received a B.S. degree in Chemistry and a Ph.D. degree in Toxicology from the Medical College of Virginia (Virginia Commonwealth University).

The Board of Directors believes that Dr. Carmines extensive experience within the nicotine industry and navigating the regulatory process relating to the nicotine industry is significantly valuable to the Company due to the ongoing and evolving nature of the Company’s industry.

Scot Cohen

Independent Director

Mr. Cohen was appointed to the Board in March 2013 and is the Founder and Managing Partner of V3 Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on early-stage companies primarily in the consumer products industry, and Co-Manager of Red Fortune Fund, aprivate equity fund based in Hong Kong. Mr. Cohen also is the Founder of Petro River Oil, LLC and Chairman of Petro River Oil Corp. (OTCBB: PTRC), a publicly traded oil and gas producer with assets in Kansas and Oklahoma, and Petro Spring, a global oil and gas technology solutions provider. Prior to creating V3 Capital Partners, Mr. Cohen was the Founder and Managing Partner at Iroquois Capital Opportunity Fund, a special situations private equity investment fund, and a Co-Founder of Iroquois Capital, a hedge fund with investments in small and micro-cap private and public companies. Mr. Cohen currently serves as a director on the Board of Directors of Wrap Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: WRTC), and is active in philanthropic activities with numerous charities including the Jewish Enrichment Council. Mr. Cohen received a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University in 1991.

The Board of Directors believes Mr. Cohen’s success with multiple private investment firms, his extensive contacts within the investment community, and his financial expertise will assist the Company’s efforts to expand and to implement its business plan.

Jeffrey Fox

Independent Director

Mr. Fox has been a leading business strategist, brand marketing authority and general management executive for some of the world's largest restaurant and consumer companies including roles as Chief Brand & Concept Officer for Pizza Hut, Co-founder of Collider LLC, a cultural marketing strategy firm, Managing Director of the California office of advertising agency Foote, Cone and Belding (FCB), various positions with the Yum! Brands and within Sony's interactive and PlayStation video game divisions, and Hill & Knowlton Public Relations. Jeff is currently a member of two board of directors -- Cicis Pizza and Flix Brewhouse. Jeff holds a bachelor's degree in Journalism from San Diego State University and received a master's degree in Mass Communications from California State University, Northridge.